With lemon chicken, the 2002 Hugel Gentil (Alsace). Not as aromatic as
some vintages, and possibly a tiny bit of residual sugar. Light bodied
and easy, a nice neutral canvas for the chicken. Unexciting, but okay
for $8. B-

My turn to cook Tuesday, I did pork chops in a sherry sauce. Wine was
the 2002 Nando Chianti Classico. Last month I was in a shop where I
sometimes find some bargain quaffers, read the review by a stack of
Chianti of the 2001 Nando. When I got home realized I had the '02
(register receipt did say '01). Oh well, I'll try. Hmm. This is not a
diluted wine as all reports of '02 Chiantis had led me to expect. But
it wasn't an especially pleasant wine. Hard cherry fruit, a
stemmy/green note to it. Good acidity, but hard and angular. B-/C+

The next night Betsy made a Tuscan meat sauce (with chicken livers,
pork, & veal), I upped the Tuscan ante with a 375 of 1999 Altesino
Brunello di Montalcino. Ah, this is more like it. Modern but clearly
Tuscan, explosive black cherry fruit with ripe fine tannins and good
acidity. Some oak, but not overwhelming. Smooth silky finish. Some
spice (dare I say Asian spice?) develops in glass. Good deal at
$25/half. The pasta and sauce was delicious, though the Brunello could
have used some roasted meat to shine. A-

Thursday some friends came for dinner, Betsy had prepared a pork
shoulder braised in apple cider with caramelized onions, along with
pasta with arugula. The 2003 Nigl Kremser Freiheit Gr=FCner Veltliner
(Kremstal) isn't as good as the 2002, but when I saw on sale for $10.xx
I had grabbed couple more. Soft and easy GV, light floral aromas and
pleasant white fruit. B/B-
A more hefty GV , maybe a Smaragd level, would have done a bit better
with the pork, but this was ok.

One of our guests is a red-only type, so I also opened the 2003 Les
Trois Chemins C=F4tes du Rh=F4ne. Light-colored, with rather ripe
strawberry fruit. Some air brings a little more muscular fruit, in the
raspberry direction to my tastes. I'm a little bored, but guest likes a
lot, and at $7 I won't complain. B/B-

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency